 "Over 2.4 million people ‘arrested or prosecuted’ in China last year for national security offences")
Amid a crackdown on crimes linked to “hostile foreign forces”, Chinese authorities arrested 726,000 people last year, a significant increase of 47.1 per cent compared to the previous year, according to chief prosecutor Ying Yong during the National People’s Congress.
The authorities formally prosecuted 1.688 million people last year, reflecting a notable uptick of 17.3 per cent, Yong said, adding that over 2.4 million people were “arrested or prosecuted” last year for offences related to “national security,” although he refrained from providing a detailed breakdown for each category.
Chinese authorities have consistently employed a broad interpretation of state secrets, often applying national security charges against journalists, human rights lawyers and activists particularly based on online content they have shared.
In Ying’s annual work report on behalf of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, it was highlighted that last year’s “strike hard” campaign primarily targeted crimes associated with “hostile foreign forces,” including activities related to infiltration, sabotage, incitement, and separatism.
The ruling Communist Party attributes the “white paper” protests that swept across the nation in November 2022 to “hostile foreign forces.” During these protests, individuals expressed their frustration and grievances by holding up blank sheets of paper, symbolizing the constraints on their freedom of expression, particularly concerning criticism of Xi Jinping’s three-year zero-Covid policy.
The Party asserted that foreign entities have played a role in orchestrating mass demonstrations in Hong Kong against national security legislation, patriotic education and extradition to mainland China in recent years.
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